29,314 verses contain “and” (in the KJV: 28,365, in the BSB: 19,838) — showing 29,101–29,200
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And when they had gathered their armour together, they laid them up all carefully in convenient places,
and the
remnant of the spoils they brought to Jerusalem.
They
slew also Philarches, that wicked person, who was with
Timotheus,
and had
annoyed the Jews many ways.
Furthermore at such time as they kept the feast for the victory in their country they burnt
Callisthenes, that had set fire upon the holy gates, who had fled into a little house;
and so he received a reward meet for his wickedness.
He was through the help of the Lord brought down by them, of whom he made least account;
and putting off his glorious
apparel,
and discharging his company, he came like a
fugitive servant through the
midland unto Antioch having very great dishonour, for that his host was destroyed.
Thus he, that took upon him to make good to the Romans their tribute by means of
captives in Jerusalem, told abroad, that the Jews had God to fight for them,
and therefore they could not be
hurt, because they followed the laws that he gave them.
For he had entered the city called
Persepolis,
and went about to
rob the temple,
and to hold the city;
whereupon the multitude running to defend themselves with their weapons put them to flight;
and so it happened, that
Antiochus being put to flight of the inhabitants returned with shame.
Now when he came to Ecbatane, news was brought him what had happened unto Nicanor
and Timotheus.
Then swelling with anger. he thought to
avenge upon the Jews the disgrace done unto him by those that made him
flee. Therefore commanded he his chariotman to drive without ceasing,
and to
dispatch the journey, the judgment of God now following him. For he had spoken proudly in this sort, That he would come to Jerusalem
and make it a common
burying place of the Jews.
But the Lord
Almighty, the God of Isreal,
smote him with an incurable
and invisible plague: or as soon as he had spoken these words, a pain of the
bowels that was
remediless came upon him,
and sore torments of the inner parts;
And that most justly: for he had
tormented other men’s
bowels with many
and strange torments.
Howbeit he nothing at all ceased from his
bragging, but still was filled with pride, breathing out fire in his
rage against the Jews,
and commanding to
haste the journey: but it came to pass that he fell down from his
chariot, carried violently; so that having a
sore fall, all the members of his body were much pained.
And thus he that a little
afore thought he might command the waves of the sea, (so proud was he beyond the condition of man)
and weigh the high mountains in a balance, was now cast on the ground,
and carried in an
horselitter,
shewing forth unto all the manifest power of God.
So that the worms rose up out of the body of this wicked man,
and whiles he lived in sorrow
and pain, his flesh fell away,
and the
filthiness of his smell was
noisome to all his army.
And the man, that thought a little
afore he could reach to the stars of heaven, no man could
endure to carry for his
intolerable stink.
Here therefore, being plagued, he began to leave off his great pride,
and to come to the knowledge of himself by the
scourge of God, his pain increasing every moment.
And when he himself could not
abide his own smell, he said these words, It is meet to be subject unto God,
and that a man that is
mortal should not proudly think of himself if he were God.
That the holy city (to the which he was going in
haste to lay it even with the ground,
and to make it a common buryingplace,) he would set at liberty:
And as touching the Jews, whom he had judged not worthy so much as to be buried, but to be cast out with their children to be
devoured of the fowls
and wild beasts, he would make them all equals to the citizens of Athens:
And the holy temple, which before he had
spoiled, he would
garnish with goodly gifts,
and restore all the holy vessels with many more,
and out of his own revenue
defray the charges belonging to the sacrifices:
Yea,
and that also he would become a
Jew himself,
and go through all the world that was inhabited,
and declare the power of God.
Antiochus, king
and governor, to the good Jews his citizens wisheth much joy, health,
and prosperity:
If ye
and your children
fare well,
and your affairs be to your contentment, I give very great
thanks to God, having my hope in heaven.
As for me, I was weak, or else I would have remembered kindly your honour
and good will returning out of Persia,
and being taken with a
grievous disease, I thought it necessary to care for the common safety of all:
Again, considering how that the princes that are borderers
and neighbours unto my kingdom wait for
opportunities,
and expect what shall be the event. I have appointed my son
Antiochus king, whom I often committed
and commended unto many of you, when I went up into the high provinces; to whom I have written as followeth:
Therefore I pray and request you to remember the benefits that I have done unto you generally, and in special, and that every man will be still faithful to me and my son.
For I am persuaded that he understanding my mind will favourably
and graciously yield to your desires.
And Philip, that was brought up with him, carried away his body, who also fearing the son of
Antiochus went into Egypt to Ptolemeus Philometor.
Now Maccabeus and his company, the Lord guiding them, recovered the temple and the city:
But the altars which the heathen had built in the open street, and also the chapels, they pulled down.
And having
cleansed the temple they made another altar,
and striking stones they took fire out of them,
and offered a sacrifice after two years,
and set forth incense,
and lights,
and shewbread.
When that was done, they fell flat down,
and besought the Lord that they might come no more into such troubles; but if they
sinned any more against him, that he himself would
chasten them with mercy,
and that they might not be delivered unto the
blasphemous and barbarous nations.
Now upon the same day that the strangers
profaned the temple, on the very same day it was
cleansed again, even the five
and twentieth day of the same month, which is Casleu.
And they kept the eight days with
gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long
afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they
wandered in the mountains
and dens like beasts.
Therefore they bare branches,
and fair boughs,
and palms also,
and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in
cleansing his place.
They ordained also by a common statute and decree, That every year those days should be kept of the whole nation of the Jews.
And this was the end of
Antiochus, called Epiphanes.
So when he was come to the crown, he set one
Lysias over the affairs of his realm,
and appointed him his chief governor of Celosyria
and Phenice.
Whereupon being accused of the king’s friends before Eupator,
and called
traitor at every word because he had left
Cyprus, that Philometor had committed unto him,
and departed to
Antiochus Epiphanes,
and seeing that he was in no honourable place, he was so discouraged, that he poisoned himself
and died.
But when
Gorgias was governor of the holds, he
hired soldiers,
and nourished war continually with the Jews:
And therewithall the Idumeans, having
gotten into their hands the most
commodious holds, kept the Jews occupied,
and receiving those that were banished from Jerusalem, they went about to
nourish war.
Then they that were with Maccabeus made
supplication,
and besought God that he would be their helper;
and so they ran with violence upon the strong holds of the Idumeans,
And assaulting them strongly, they won the holds,
and kept off all that fought upon the wall,
and slew all that fell into their hands,
and killed no fewer than twenty thousand.
And because certain, who were no less than nine thousand, were fled together into two very strong castles, having all manner of things convenient to
sustain the siege,
Maccabeus left Simon
and Joseph,
and Zaccheus also,
and them that were with him, who were enough to
besiege them,
and departed himself unto those places which more needed his help.
Now they that were with Simon, being led with
covetousness, were persuaded for money through certain of those that were in the castle,
and took seventy thousand drachms,
and let some of them escape.
But when it was told Maccabeus what was done, he called the governors of the people together, and accused those men, that they had sold their brethren for money, and set their enemies free to fight against them.
So he
slew those that were found traitors,
and immediately took the two castles.
And having good success with his weapons in all things he took in hand, he
slew in the two holds more than twenty thousand.
Now
Timotheus, whom the Jews had overcome before, when he had gathered a great multitude of foreign forces,
and horses out of Asia not a few, came as though he would take
Jewry by force of arms.
But when he drew near, they that were with Maccabeus turned themselves to pray unto God,
and sprinkled earth upon their heads,
and girded their loins with
sackcloth,
So after the prayer they took their weapons, and went on further from the city: and when they drew near to their enemies, they kept by themselves.
Now the sun being newly risen, they joined both together; the one part having together with their virtue their refuge also unto the Lord for a
pledge of their success
and victory: the other side making their
rage leader of their battle
But when the battle waxed strong, there appeared unto the enemies from heaven five comely men upon horses, with bridles of gold, and two of them led the Jews,
And took Maccabeus
betwixt them,
and covered him on every side weapons,
and kept him safe, but shot arrows
and lightnings against the enemies: so that being confounded with blindness,
and full of trouble, they were killed.
And there were slain of
footmen twenty thousand
and five hundred,
and six hundred
horsemen.
And they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place,
blasphemed exceedingly,
and uttered wicked words.
Nevertheless upon the fifth day early twenty young men of Maccabeus’ company, inflamed with anger because of the blasphemies,
assaulted the wall manly,
and with a fierce courage killed all that they met
withal.
Others likewise ascending after them, whiles they were
busied with them that were within, burnt the towers,
and kindling fires burnt the blasphemers alive;
and others broke open the gates,
and, having received in the rest of the army, took the city,
And killed
Timotheus, that was
hid in a certain pit,
and Chereas his brother, with Apollophanes.
When this was done, they praised the Lord with psalms
and thanksgiving, who had done so great things for Israel,
and given them the victory.
Not long after the,
Lysias the king’s
protector and cousin, who also managed the affairs, took
sore displeasure for the things that were done.
And when he had gathered about
fourscore thousand with all the
horsemen, he came against the Jews, thinking to make the city an
habitation of the Gentiles,
And to make a gain of the temple, as of the other chapels of the heathen, and to set the high priesthood to sale every year:
So he came to
Judea,
and drew near to Bethsura, which was a strong town, but distant from Jerusalem about five furlongs,
and he laid
sore siege unto it.
Now when they that were with Maccabeus heard that he besieged the holds, they
and all the people with
lamentation and tears
besought the Lord that he would send a good angel to deliver Israel.
And as they were at Jerusalem, there appeared before them on
horseback one in white clothing,
shaking his armour of gold.
Then they praised the
merciful God all together,
and took heart,
insomuch that they were ready not only to fight with men, but with most cruel beasts,
and to
pierce through walls of iron.
And giving a charge upon their enemies like lions, they
slew eleven thousand
footmen,
and sixteen hundred
horsemen,
and put all the other to flight.
Many of them also being wounded escaped naked;
and Lysias himself fled away
shamefully,
and so escaped.
Who, as he was a man of understanding, casting with himself what loss he had had,
and considering that the Hebrews could not be overcome, because the
Almighty God helped them, he sent unto them,
And persuaded them to agree to all reasonable conditions,
and promised that he would
persuade the king that he must needs be a friend unto them.
Then Maccabeus consented to all that
Lysias desired, being careful of the common good;
and whatsoever Maccabeus wrote unto
Lysias concerning the Jews, the king granted it.
John
and Absolom, who were sent from you, delivered me the petition
subscribed,
and made request for the performance of the contents thereof.
Therefore what things
soever were meet to be reported to the king, I have declared them,
and he hath granted as much as might be.
But of the particulars I have given order both to these and the other that came from me, to commune with you.
Fare ye well. The hundred
and eight
and fortieth year, the four
and twentieth day of the month Dioscorinthius.
Wherefore our mind is, that this nation shall be in rest, and we have determined to restore them their temple, that they may live according to the customs of their forefathers.
Thou shalt do well therefore to send unto them,
and grant them peace, that when they are
certified of our mind, they may be of good comfort,
and ever go
cheerfully about their own affairs.
And the letter of the king unto the nation of the Jews was after this manner: King
Antiochus sendeth
greeting unto the council,
and the rest of the Jews:
Menelaus declared unto us, that your desire was to return home,
and to follow your own business:
And the Jews shall use their own kind of meats
and laws, as before;
and none of them any manner of ways shall be
molested for things ignorantly done.
Fare ye well. In the hundred forty
and eighth year,
and the
fifteenth day of the month Xanthicus.
The Romans also sent unto them a letter containing these words: Quintus Memmius
and Titus Manlius, ambassadors of the Romans, send
greeting unto the people of the Jews.
When these covenants were made,
Lysias went unto the king,
and the Jews were about their
husbandry.
But of the governours of several places,
Timotheus,
and Apollonius the son of Genneus, also Hieronymus,
and Demophon,
and beside them Nicanor the governor of
Cyprus, would not suffer them to be quiet
and live in peace.
The men of
Joppa also did such an ungodly deed: they prayed the Jews that dwelt among them to go with their wives
and children into the boats which they had prepared, as though they had meant them no
hurt.
Who accepted of it according to the common decree of the city, as being
desirous to live in peace,
and suspecting nothing: but when they were gone forth into the deep, they
drowned no less than two hundred of them.
And calling upon God the righteous Judge, he came against those murderers of his brethren,
and burnt the
haven by night,
and set the boats on fire,
and those that fled thither he
slew.
And when the town was shut up, he went backward, as if he would return to root out all them of the city of
Joppa.
He came upon the Jamnites also by night,
and set fire on the
haven and the navy, so that the light of the fire was seen at Jerusalem two hundred
and forty furlongs off.
Now when they were gone from thence nine furlongs in their journey toward
Timotheus, no fewer than five thousand men on foot
and five hundred
horsemen of the Arabians set upon him.
Whereupon there was a very
sore battle; but
Judas’ side by the help of God got the victory; so that the Nomades of Arabia, being overcome,
besought Judas for peace, promising both to give him cattle,
and to pleasure him otherwise.
Then
Judas, thinking indeed that they would be profitable in many things, granted them peace:
whereupon they
shook hands,
and so they departed to their tents.
He went also about to make a bridge to a certain strong city, which was
fenced about with walls,
and inhabited by people of
divers countries;
and the name of it was Caspis.
But they that were within it put such trust in the strength of the walls
and provision of
victuals, that they
behaved themselves rudely toward them that were with
Judas, railing
and blaspheming,
and uttering such words as were not to be spoken.